James Gruntz, a singer-songwriter from Basel, Switzerland, may not be known outside of his own country, but as far as we're concerned, that shouldn't be the case. His debut album, Belvedere, was released back in May of 2014, and based on the fact that it's only been released in Switzerland, we're assuming he's an act that's gone well under the radar in other countries like our own. Let us be the first to tell you that Belvedere is a superb body of work that needs to be heard. If you're a fan of vocalists that ride along the edge of pop and R&B with a flawless tone, too, the album is especially for you, because there's more than just a couple of examples across the span of the ten-track album. The majority of the highlights we're sharing with you here are of the sentimental, slow-burning variety, but the cuts on the album are not all like that (there are radio-driven, upbeat efforts, too ["Heart Keeps Dancing", in particular, comes to mind]). No matter what sound you first jump into on the body of work, though, you'll quickly come to like it, so pick whatever highlight you want to start with below, and let all subsequent ones come to coalesce into a wholly spectacular listen. If you happen to live in Switzerland, you can purchase the album on iTunes.
James Gruntz